Bulgarian Emigrants Snub President Office's Invitation

Close to 14,000 Bulgarian emigrants have signed a declaration rejecting an invitation by the Bulgarian President's Office for a conference on Bulgarians abroad.

The conference, scheduled to take place in Brussels on November 7-8 is initiated by EPP MEP Emil Stoyanov together with Bulgarian Vice-President Margarita Popova, following statements by Popova and Bulgarian President Rosen Plevneliev, who said they are taking a pro-active approach to the Bulgarian diaspora.

The conference is planned to feature four panels: "Preserving national identity of Bulgarians abroad," "Learning Bulgarian at Bulgarian schools abroad," "Lobbying for Bulgaria," and "Social policies regarding Bulgarians abroad."

The letter of rejection is signed by a total of 13,487 Bulgarian emigrants from 30 emigrant organizations from all over Europe and the USA.

They criticize the initiative as ineffective and misguided, saying topics of key interest for them have not been included in the program, as well as questioning the Brussels location and what they see as excessive time allotted to the discussion.

Among the topics that the declaration sees as important for emigrants is equality regarding passive and active electoral rights, the abolition of alleged discrimination against Bulgarians with dual citizenship, and better service at Bulgarian consular missions.

According to the petition, it would be better for the conference to take place in Sofia instead of Brussels, and to be in the weekend, instead of in the middle of the week.

In addition, Bulgarian emigrants have been affronted by what they have seen as a somewhat paternalistic tone on the part of the organizers, seeing it as misguided on the part of institutions to take up a position of teachers in the preservation of Bulgarian identity.

Bulgarian daily 24 Chasa also writes that it has information that Bulgarians abroad also do not agree with the creation of a foundation for Bulgarian emigrants using taxpayers' money.

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